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Yesterday was our last day in Torremaggiore; we departed this morning at seven and are now heading to the final destinations/excursions of our trip — Sorrento, Pompeii, and Capri. I am saddened to leave a town that I have grown so much to love throughout the past week and a half, however I am excited to make my final memories in Italy alongside my wonderful cohort and professors.
The hardest goodbye was certainly to the children in my class. I will truly miss all sixteen of them, in addition to the teachers that I had the absolute pleasure of working with and getting to know. The experiences I had in Emilio Ricci were ones that I will remember and carry with me for the remainder of my teaching career; it was so profound that I had the opportunity to get a firsthand look at a foreign education system. From the lens of a secondary English education major, it was especially interesting, moreover, as I was granted the chance to see what language, reading, writing, and other literacy skills look like in a classroom that predominantly speaks a language other than English. This communication barrier has gifted me a newfound, deeper understanding and appreciation for those teachers who specialize in ENL/ESL education. Our final night was spent having a lovely dinner at a local community center for students and individuals with exceptional needs. One specific thing about Torremaggiore that is especially reminiscent of Buffalo is the way that the entire community comes together and truly has such an immense amount of pride and love for their hometown. Seeing everyone at dinner that we’ve come across the past week or so rally together just to say goodbye to us was both heartwarming and bittersweet — I will never forget the people I met here and I hope to come back someday. I want to just give a special shoutout to a few (of many) good friends that I have made while here: Mary Angela, Andrea, and Gianpaolo; thank you for your hospitality, kindness, and open arms. Some of the best moments here were those spent with you all. Please come visit us in Buffalo someday! As I sit here on this (bumpy) bus ride to the Amalfi Coast, I can’t help but smile and relish in the amazing time that I have had here and the lifelong friends that I never would have met, had I not come on this trip
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Day Seven — Tuesday:
Today was our first day at Emilio Ricci where we actually instructed the children and taught them our planned lessons. I was really nervous at first, but both the children and the teachers in the classroom — Gwendolina and Antonio — were beyond welcoming, helpful, and excited for us to be there with them. Immediately I connected with a lot of boys in the class over the fact that I love to play soccer, or as they call it, futbol. They kept asking me my favorite teams, players, or my opinion on the whole Messi versus Ronaldo debate (Messi, obviously). We have a pickup game planned for Friday when they have gym class! I am really happy with where I was placed. I look forward to spending more time with them over the next week or so; I already know it’s gonna pain me to leave. After the school day ended for siesta, we were instructed to get into the cars of the teachers at Emilio Ricci so they could drive us to a destination for a lunch festivity — I had no idea where we were going or what we were eating, but I obliged. When we finally arrived at the house of one of them, I was shocked by what I saw: banquet dining tables set up, along with a huge welcome sign, dance floor, and strobe lights. It was like a nightclub in there! It seemed as if everyone from town was there for the event; no less than fifty people. We were served a few courses and then the real fun began: a dance party! They played us a few popular Italian songs and it was so enjoyable to watch them sing and take pride in their culture. They eventually asked us to choose a few American songs to play, so I suggested ‘Mamma Mia’ by ABBA. Because of this, they coerced me into singing it karaoke style in front of the room while everyone else danced and cheered along. It was such a fun and surreal moment that I’ll definitely remember forever. We ended the afternoon with Limoncello shots and a bunch of hugs. I would go as far as to say it was my favorite outing in Torremaggiore so far. We all got a little bit of time at the bed and breakfast to decompress before our evening plans began, and boy, I did not know what was coming to me. Dr. Renzoni had pre-informed us that it would be some sort of dancing event, but I interpreted that as being light and casual. It was actually, however, a three hour long lesson on traditional Italian group/line dances. By the end of it, I was both sweaty and sore, yet happy. My favorite part of the evening was watching Dr. Weber continuously get chosen to dance with the instructor — her facial expressions were priceless. When I finally got back to my room at the end of the night, I passed out. I am excited to see what more the locals have planned for us! Day Six — Monday: Today after breakfast we got ready and traveled off in the city to the Town Hall in order to meet the mayor, Emilio Di Pumpo, along with his consorts and other officials representing the nearby schools we’ll be visiting on our trip. Everyone was so welcoming, kind, and especially patient with us as we tried our very best to converse with them in Italian. They had a speech prepared, along with other welcoming gifts and certificates for each and everyone of us. It was such a captivating and immersive cultural experience and it’s really amazing how despite the clear language barrier between our cohort and the locals in Torremaggiore, we were still able to communicate and connect with one another in such a beautiful and impactful way. They were all immensely interested in getting to know us individually and even mentioned that they’ve been reading our blogs. Following this, we departed from Town Hall and walked our way down to the Scuola Elementare Emilio Ricci — it is here where we will be spending the majority of our time working with five different fifth grade classrooms on a rotating basis. The school’s Headmaster took us to the gymnasium where the entire school was waiting for us — it was truly magical to hear their excited screams and cheers while approaching the building; it sounded like a sports stadium. Upon entering, the entire room erupted with noise, smiles, laughter, and excitement. I don’t think I’ve ever received so many hugs in my life. They performed songs for us and for about five minutes we just stood in the center waving and taking it all in. It was one of the most beautiful moments of my life and certainly brought a few tears to my eyes. From there, we were able to go off and interact more directly with the kids. They like to dance a lot, and Shania, Will, and I kept doing Fortnite emote dances with them — it was hilarious and they were so happy that we knew how to do them too. While Dr. Renzoni and Dr. Weber warned us we would be treated like celebrities, I didn’t quite anticipate this. The children were begging for our autographs like we were movie stars — certainly an ego boost I needed. There were a few students who I connected with immediately, one being Emmanuel who I have posted a picture with below. He was so sweet and we bonded over our mutual love of futbol (aka soccer). We even play the same position! Will and I are going to try to do a pick-up match with the kids in the gym one day while we’re here, as he also plays. As I mentioned before, there is a distinct language barrier. This barrier, however, does not stop us from communicating with the students in meaningful ways — there is a lot of smiling, nodding, and Google Translate that takes place. While communicating via Google Translate with Emmanuel, he typed a message into my phone that translated into, “You are happy in this country I love you”. Reading that was one of those life moments that you’ll just carry with you forever. I am so excited to return to the school tomorrow and teach my first lesson with my co-teacher, Rachael. Day One — Wednesday: After landing in Rome around 2pm, we were promptly shuttled to our hotel where we were given the chance to settle in and unpack a bit. Once doing this, Dr. Renzoni and Dr. Weber took us all on a walking tour of the city before dinner where we were able to see famous historical landmarks such as the Pantheon and Trevi Fountain — they were both so beautifully unbelievable to see in person, rather than just in pictures. It was also nice to walk around the city because it gave me a good sense of what I want to do in the next upcoming days. We eventually went out to dinner, which I would say was our first immersive cultural experience. To eat I got a pasta dish called cacio e pepe, which was honestly one of the best things I have ever consumed. After dinner, we went back to the hotel to relax and get ready for the next day. Day Two — Thursday: On Thursday, the other girls in the cohort and I bought a ticket for a sight-seeing hop on/hop off tour bus which takes you to all the major tourist attractions in the city. It was such a good idea to do because it gave us the opportunity to see places like the Circus Maximus, Roman Forum, Colosseum, and Piazza Venezia in such a timely manner. We certainly worked up an appetite from all of the walking though and consequently found a lovely and quaint restaurant to eat at. It was here that I was able to try my first authentically Italian pizza and aperol spritz — they were equally delicious! After lunch, we veered off into groups and checked out the shopping scene of the city; I bought most of my souvenirs on this day. While some went back to the hotel to relax, one of the girls in my cohort, Shania, knew a cousin of a friend that is a local here that was willing to bring us out at night and show us around some more — I couldn’t pass up this opportunity! Seeing the major attractions she took us to at night-time, rather than in the day, was so amazing, as they look completely different (and in my opinion, much more beautiful). Touring around with Kimberly, the Italian local, made me feel so much more a part of Rome, rather than just being a tourist. She also taught us a significant amount of the language and a lot of the nuances that are associated with some of the phrases that we previously learned prior to coming here — this was really helpful. At the end of the night, we ended up going out all together to a rooftop restaurant and a local Irish pub nearby. Day Three — Friday: While I spent the majority of the morning and afternoon resting and recharging after a very busy and jam-packed previous day, Friday quickly became my favorite day of the trip so far and a night I will forever remember. Around dinner time we, as a cohort, went out to eat at a place nearby our hotel. They were playing such great music and the staff was so kind! After this, we walked to an Ice Club which was basically an igloo that was -5 degrees celsius. They even gave us special coats to put on to keep us warm while we were there. It was funny because we met a guy from Boston, MA who was so confused why we would want to come to an igloo if we were already from Buffalo (which is typically very cold). Following our Ice Club adventure, while a majority of the cohort went back to go get some sleep, Will, Shania, Ella, and I chose to stay out and meet up with the server from the Irish pub we went to on Thursday evening. He, along with his friends, invited us to a different pub where we hung out for a while. During this, I was able to try gelato for the first time — I got a tiramisu flavored cone and it was delicious! Then they took us to a secret Roman speakeasy where you even had to do a secret knock on the hidden outside door to get in; they said we were the first tourists to EVER be there. When there, we were able to become further immersed in the culture and even played some darts and pool with the locals (Shania and I lost against our Italian opponents, but it was a close game and we held our own!). When the night was finally over, we walked home to the hotel and laughed about/recapped our evening the whole way back. It was truly one of the best and most formative nights of my life and I am so thankful for the opportunity I was given to come here on this trip. Days Four and Five — Saturday and Sunday: We woke up very early on Saturday morning and departed Rome, taking a three and a half hour bus ride to Torremaggiore. It went by pretty quickly, however, due to the fact that I slept most of the way. Once we arrived at our bed and breakfast, the host, Signore Grassi, greeted us and helped us move our bags in. The place is so quaint and home-y. Torremaggiore is definitely much more quiet than Rome, but I really appreciate that after how crazy and busy the past couple of days have been. Around 7:30, after unpacking our clothes and toiletries, we were called for dinner. They served us a homemade four-course meal which was out-of-this-world yummy. It is so sweet how they cook for us and take so much pride in their food and culture. Following dinner, I was so stuffed and crashed in my bed by 10pm, not waking up until the next morning. On Sunday, I woke up for breakfast at 8 and then went back to bed for a bit. Once I woke back up in the afternoon, however, I started finalizing my lesson plans and getting ready for Monday, as that’s when we will be finally going to the school and meeting the children. I am so excited to see them and what the Italian education system looks like. After the hectic-ness of the holiday, the new year, and the monumental Buffalo Blizzard of 2022, it's finally set in: I'm going to Italy!
I've spent my entire morning, afternoon, and evening packing and running around to grab last minute things for the trip. It's certainly been a stressful couple of days, but I know it will all be worth it once I step off that plane. I'm spending my last night in Buffalo with my girlfriend and family watching the Bills game and eating Chipotle - these are all the things that I will miss most when I am away (heavy emphasis on Chipotle). I am so grateful for this opportunity and for all of the lifelong memories that I will make while abroad. |
AuthorCiao! I am a senior at Buffalo State pursuing a B.S. in Secondary (7-12) English Education. I am really excited for the opportunity to travel abroad and am additionally looking forward to observing the myriad of different cultural pedagogical practices — specifically in relation to language, reading, and writing. I am eternally thankful for my friends, family, peers, and the faculty in my department for supporting me and pushing me to embark on such a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I hope you enjoy reading about my time spent in Italy! ArchivesCategories |