Merry Christmas

I hope that everyone had a great Christmas and are continuing to enjoy the winter break. While this was my first Christmas away from my family at home, I had a really fun time in Italy with my Italian family.   I found it really interesting to experience Christmas in a different culture. Christmas in Italy seems to be a bit less commercial and isn’t hyped as much as in the US. For example, people don’t decorate the outside of their homes like they do in the US, and you don’t hear the constant stream of Christmas songs over the radio. I also feel that Christmas in Italy is less focused on gifts and Santa Claus, or as he’s called in Italy “Babbo Natale.” Instead, Italian traditions are more centered around family and meals.   In Italy, the Christmas Eve meal typically consists of a fish dinner, panettone (a type of fruitcake) and in many cases a trip to church. And then on Christmas day there is usually a very large lunch with family. For lunch we had cappelletti (tortellini in broth), a large roast, and a light fluffy cake called Pandoro. After the meal, we had over 15 relatives join us at the house for coffee.

Pandoro

panettone

cappelletti

In terms of gifts, we actually opened all of our gifts on Christmas Eve which some families do in America (we open gifts on Christmas morning). The highlight of the night had to be Simone’s reaction when he opened his official Juventus jersey customized with his name and favorite number! He was so excited! I also enjoyed exchanging gifts with my Italian family, and even had a few gifts from my extended American family that made it in time for Christmas (thank you!).

All in all, it’s been a very relaxing and enjoyable break so far.  I’m in Chamonix right now and will be returning after the New Year.

Three Months

After a long month of work, the apartment renovations at my family’s house are finally finished! It has been a patience-trying process for my family and we are all excited to be able to sit on the couch together and watch TV again. To celebrate, we also put up the Christmas tree! While the experience was different from trekking through the VT woods and cutting down a tree, it was a fun family afternoon. I even had the honor of placing the star on top of the tree.

Christmas shopping with Caterina

This coming week is the last of the “trimester” (we have a 3 month block and a 5 month block of school divided by the Christmas break) so things are really heating up in school. I have a History and a Psychology test, as well as interrogations in Philosophy, Art History, Psychology, and French. These interrogations are different from any form of evaluation that I’ve faced in the US and are as daunting as they sound. Interrogations are essentially oral tests in which the teacher asks questions covering any of the material from the semester. Not only does the wide range of material make these interrogations difficult, but because they are usually open-ended questions that require a lot of explanation, you need to have a full grasp of the material. There is no way to cover-up the fact that you didn’t study or are under prepared. Though the teachers are more lenient with my responses and don’t expect as much out of me, the preparation is still very difficult.

The other exciting piece of news is that we have confirmed our plans for the Christmas break. We are going skiing at Chamonix! My family has friends with a house in Chamonix and they are kindly letting us stay there for the holiday break.

It’s crazy to think that I’m just about a third of the way through this adventure!

Forza Sassuolo!

One of the things that I have enjoyed the most about my time in Italy so far is attending Serie A soccer matches. Simo, Luigi, and I, along with some other friends, have season tickets to Sassuolo games, and every other weekend or so we drive just 35 minutes to Mapei Stadium to watch the home games. Sassuolo was promoted to Serie A this year for the first time in the club's history, so their main goal for the season is to remain in Serie A. The Italian soccer system, and that of most European countries, is based on a system of relegation and promotion. Serie A is the highest league in Italy, with Serie B, C1, C2, etc. below. And at the end of each season, the top three teams from each league are promoted (they move up a league) and the bottom three teams are relegated (move down a league) Unfortunately, playing well enough to remain in Serie A is proving to be a difficult task; Sassuolo currently sits only 1 point above the relegation zone.

Night Game vs. Udinese

Watching Serie A matches live is unlike anything you can experience in the US, and in many ways unlike watching soccer in other European countries. Mapei Stadium isn’t huge (20,000 person capacity), but it’s big enough to create a great atmosphere during the games. Our seats are located around midfield about half way up the stadium. The Sassuolo “Ultras”, the hardcore fans, stand behind one goal and the visiting fans stand behind the other.  The Ultras for both teams really charge the atmosphere during the games. They sing and chant throughout the game, sometimes urging their team on, sometimes mocking the other team or even the other team’s fans. Though I haven't had any negative experiences with the Italian Ultras, Ultras in general can get out of hand. They've been known to throw flares on the field, tear up seating, or cause other havoc. 

Another contributing factor to the atmosphere, and one that is especially pertinent in Italy, is the presence of "everyday fans". Though there are other fathers and sons at the games, the Italian fans aren’t for the most part like Luigi, Simo, and me. There are a lot of middle-aged and older men in the stands who seem like they've been attending games since they were kids, and who believe that they understand soccer better than anyone including the coaches and people around them. They are constantly yelling at the players to make better passes and stop messing up. They also love to yell at the referee. Though yelling at the referee isn’t unique to Italy, the fans have an infamous and special hatred for them. I can’t remember the last game where the ref wasn’t whistled at and called names.

Another aspect of these games that is unique to Italy is the fog. Whereas England, Germany, and France may have to worry about the snow during their games, in Italy, you have to worry about the winter fog. It sweeps into the stadium, and just sits above the field, creating a rather eerie ambiance. The fog this week was particularly thick; for a good portion of the second half, it was impossible to see the other side of the field or any of the other stands in the stadium.
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As for the soccer itself, it’s an interesting and for the most part, enjoyable experience. As I mentioned before, Sassuolo isn't a very strong side and the team doesn’t win very often. Watching their games is like spinning the wheel of fortune, you just don’t know what you're going to get. The team lost 7-0 to highly ranked Inter and 4-1 to newly promoted side Livorno at home, yet they tied very strong teams including Lazio, Roma, and Napoli. Though this unpredictability can be at times frustrating, I enjoy being a fan of a smaller side. I've spent my whole life rooting for Manchester United in the English Premier League, hoping each season they can defend their title. It is refreshing to have different goals and see what life is like for a team and their fans from the other half of the table.

The next home game should be exciting against Fiorentina, one of the strongest teams in the league!

Roma!

The Pantheon

I just got back from a wonderful weekend in Rome. My Italian family lived in Rome until about 8 years ago, and some old friends invited us to visit for their daughter’s Confirmation. We arrived in Rome midday Friday, got settled into a bed and breakfast, and then caught a bus to the city center. We started off by seeing the Pantheon and strolling through Piazza Navona. Though I have already visited both of these locations, as well as a few others across Rome, it seemed like a completely new experience because I was with people who lived in Rome and could really tell me about the places I was visiting. For example, I learned that in Ancient Rome, Piazza Navona would be flooded in order to hold huge naval battles, and that even when it rains, water really doesn’t come through the large oculus in the Pantheon (something to do with a strange phenomenon around the air currents). 

Outside of the Pantheon

We also walked through Piazza dei Fiori, and saw the Italian Parliament as well as Caravaggio’s famous painting The Calling of Saint Matthew in the Church of San Luigi di Francesi. This is an example of one of the things I find so interesting and exciting about Rome: the overall quantity and diffusion of artwork/architecture throughout the city. I doubt that you will see the Church of San Luigi di Francesi featured prominently in any guidebooks, but it housed a masterpiece of one of the most well known Italian Renaissance artists.

Piazza Dei Fiori

Inside the Church San Luigi di Francesi

After our afternoon stroll, we went to our friend's house for dinner. They have two daughters, Aurora, who is Cate’s age (13), and Vittoria, who is Simo’s age (10). We ate pizza and hung out together along with some other family members who were also in Rome for Aurora’s Confirmation. When we left at 11 o’clock, the best part of the day and probably the entire trip was yet to come. Before heading back to the bed and breakfast, we made a quick detour to St Peter’s Square. It was an absolutely amazing and breath-taking sight. The Basilica was divinely lit, and the square itself was empty. It was a moment of true serenity; we had the magic and beauty of one of the world’s greatest churches all to ourselves.

Piazza San Pietro (St Peter's Square)

A view of Rome

The next morning we were up early and got right back to it. Cate and Antonella broke-off to do some shopping while Simo, Luigi, and I started at the Alatare Della Patria. This gigantic marble monument was built in honor of Victor Emmanuel, the first king of unified Italy. The museum inside, dedicated to the history of Italy, is great, but what you can see from the top is even better. The views of all of Rome stretched out beneath you are breath taking. You can see the Pantheon, Castel Sant’Agnelo, Villa Borghese, The Colosseum, and of course St Peter’s Basilica. After reluctantly descending from the top of the monument, we continued on to see the Colosseum and some of the Rome’s ancient ruins. Though we almost just glazed over this section of Rome, it was enough to get me thinking. I realized just how amazing it was to be seeing the exact same buildings and walking in the exact same places as the Romans from over 2000 years ago.

Alatare Della Patria (above), view from the top (below)

Ancient Ruins 

 After meeting up with Cate and Antonella again, we paused for a nice lunch, and then continued onto the Spanish Steps and the Piazza del Popolo. The latter I found to be especially beautiful; in the center sits a giant obelisk (one of many giant obelisks you will find throughout Rome) and on either side of Via del Corso are the “twin churches”.

Piazza del Popolo

Trevi Fountain

Sitting on the Spanish Steps

Celebratory Dinner

By this time, all of the walking was getting to us, so we headed back to the bed and breakfast and relaxed a little bit before leaving for Aurora’s Confirmation. The ceremony was held in a church within walking distance of my Italian family's old house and was chalk full of people. It was an interesting ceremony but I could sense folks were excited for the celebratory dinner. And this was a true Italian celebratory dinner!  We were 24 people in total and had a corner of a nice restaurant all to ourselves. The dinner was seafood-themed, and we enjoyed courses of pasta and mussels, fish fillets, calamari, enormous prawns, and even fried octopus. It was a delicious dinner, and by the time we left the restaurant, it was nearly 1 in the morning.

Thankfully, we got to sleep-in the next morning before making our way back to the Vatican for the Pope’s weekly address. The conditions were a far cry from that perfect Friday night, but amazing all the same. There was a biting wind and the Piazza was filled to the brim with people from every continent who came to hear the Pope speak. His address was concise, and his popularity was manifest in shouts of “Viva la Papa” from the crowd. 

Listening to the Pope's Address

All of the kids with Pasqual

Afterwards, it was slightly disappointing that we didn’t have the chance to enter the Basilica  itself (huge line to get in!), but we had a memorable lunch instead. The De Luchis, their extended family, and our family all went to a little sandwich shop that they apparently know pretty well. The owner is a man with a huge personality and a huge heart named Pasqual. He was excited to see us and immediately handed out some free “antipasto di Pasqual” in the form of mini slices of pizza and little mortadella sandwiches. He was that stereotypical Italian sandwich shop owner who loves his food and his customers. It was a wonderful way to cap-off the weekend.

Lunch at Pasqual's

And so it ended, though it seemed like it had just started. But I guess it’s a nice consolation to know that Rome is just 3 and half hours away from Carpi,  just waiting for me to come back!

                   

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope that everyone has a great Thanksgiving!  While I'm going to miss relaxing and hanging out with family at home, and having a traditional meal this year, I'm looking forward to enjoying some Thanksgiving spirit here by making an apple pie with my Italian family! And then Friday I'm off to Rome!

Tidbits

This past week was relatively low-key and I’m really feeling more settled in my routine. The big soccer news of the week is that Carpi beat Modena 3-2 in the big derby match (Modena is only 15 minutes from Carpi). Though Carpi currently sits 3 points behind Modena in the Serie B standings, winning the derby brings tremendous bragging rights. Simo, Luigi, and I were originally planning to go to Modena for the game, but because things could get heated between the fans, we decided it would be safer not to go. That decision ended-up being a smart one because we later heard that there was a group of Modena and Carpi fans that got into a fight after the game. The big win was probably the most exciting event of the week for the entire city of Carpi, but I had a personally exciting moment during the week too. It happened Saturday night when almost our entire class went out to celebrate a friend’s birthday at a pizzeria. I was having a conversation when I stopped and realized, “Wow, I didn’t even have to think about those last 3 sentences, the words just flew right out.”  It’s truly gratifying to realize you’re getting better at a language and that all of your hard work is paying off.  Another funny language side-note is that I found out that the Italian word “tipo” is the equivalent of the word “like” in English (when it’s like misused as like a filler). It would seem obvious that people of all languages would have “filler words” , but it surprised me nonetheless that there was an Italian version of the word “like”.  

I also had a great week in soccer last week. For the first time, I got to play in the midfield during scrimmages where I feel slightly more at home. I have only been at Carpi FC for a month, but I can already notice big improvements in my game. Probably one of the biggest changes is that my teammates are more confident in giving me the ball in scrimmages and drills, and I'm more confident in my ability to do something productive with the ball.

Making crostini with Simo and Cate

The following couple of weeks promise to be anything but low-key. Starting today, my family’s apartment is undergoing some pretty large-scale remodeling. One big wall is being completely knocked-down and I will be sleeping in Simo’s room for a couple of nights. My family actually owns two apartments (one is the grandparent's old apartment) and they want to make them into one.  And in less than two weeks, our family is heading to Rome for a long weekend. I can’t wait!

In Carpi with my family