This past week, the Zanti’s German exchange student from
last year, Lisa, has been staying with us for her Easter vacation. It’s been a
full house and lots of fun, and the Zantis have enjoyed having their complete family of six
finally together! To celebrate her arrival last weekend, we all went to the theater in Carpi to watch a musical called Heartquake (which actually
featured my two aunts!). To be honest, I wasn't sure how much I would enjoy a musical, but I was so glad that I went. First
off, the theater was absolutely stunning; it has a classical feel with ornate
decorations and multiple floors of box seats. But what I enjoyed even more was
the production itself. Heartquake is an original piece that chronicles the
events surrounding the earthquakes that devastated the region two years ago. I
enjoyed the musical because it helped me to better understand and grasp the
severity of the most important event in the region’s recent history.
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| Our box seats |
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| The whole family outside the theater |
The first earthquake to hit the area was a 5.9 and hit during the night of
May 20, 2012. The epicenter was about an hour away from Carpi and didn’t
cause a lot of damage to Carpi itself, but left thousands homeless and destroyed many buildings further north. But unfortunately the tremor weakened a lot of buildings
in the Carpi area, which eventually collapsed in the following May 29th
earthquake. The May 29th earthquake was more devastating and much
more traumatic for this community. Though it was only 5.8 in magnitude, the
epicenter was a mere 15 miles away from downtown Carpi. Many buildings,
including the Duomo, theater, and a part of the high school collapsed, and an estimated 10,000 people were left homeless throughout northern Italy. The effects of the earthquake are still
quite evident today. Cranes are heavily scattered throughout the area and many
houses and public buildings are still under repair. In fact, the Duomo, which
is many ways the symbol of Carpi is still under construction. The Zantis were
lucky to come out of the situation relatively unscathed, but I have a few
friends whose houses were razed.
Though the musical covered the tragic events, it spun them
to focus on how the community was able to rally together. In many ways, it is remarkable the progress
that has been made in two years considering the government’s lack of support in
terms of funding and aid. All in all, it was a catastrophic event that everyone
remembers, but it is also one that has united the whole region.
One of the biggest ways that the US leaves its mark on the
world is through its culture and more specifically, its pop culture. American
cinema, music, brands, and even to some extent food are widely exported and
consumed, and Italy is no exception to this trend. In fact, American pop
culture is rather deeply rooted in Italian society. American movies, and even TV shows are translated and broadcasted on Italian TV, and depending on
the radio station, about half of the songs that are played are from the US.
This prevalence of pop culture has a very interesting effect on how the US is
perceived by Italians. Whereas to Americans, Italy is the land of great pasta,
rich history, and beautiful cities, America is known by Italians through the
pop culture that they consume. I am quite frequently asked if my high school
really resembles the one from High School Musical or if it’s true that New York
City is actually as busy as it always seems. In a lot of ways, the US is seen
as a place of constant fun and excitement. And as a result, there is a
fascination (especially among teenagers) with all things American. When it comes
to clothing, brands such as Abercrombie & Fitch, American Eagle, Vans, and
Converse are quite popular, and a lot times I get the feeling that the concept
of the brand is more important than the product itself. And then there is the
presence of American food in the form of fast food such as McDonalds and more traditional
restaurants such as American Graffiti. American Graffiti is a restaurant chain in Italy that serves typical American fare (with full American portions
of course) and has the theme of a 1950’s roadside diner. It is complete with a
black and white linoleum tiled floor, milkshakes, portraits of Elvis and Marilyn
Monroe, and of course a juke box. When you look up at the walls that are heavily decorated with posters for Jack Daniels, Baseball, and American muscle cars, you realize that this is everything for which the US is stereotypically known. I think that American Graffiti perfectly
encapsulates the Italian perception of America and its culture.
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