Last week I went to Sorrento to see Pompeii and the beautiful Amalfi coast.  Due to inclement weather, I never had the opportunity to snap breathtaking photos that would stir feelings of envy as I sat in the sun sipping my aperitivos.

Vesuvius looms

I have several other posts in the works about some of my experiences, but I decided instead to just write today about more of my experiences living in a foreign country, city and culture.

I thought my blog would be more about the places I visited to entice you to come to Italy guided by an itinerary developed by me based on your interests. But talking with people, both in the US and here in Italy I have found that there is more of an interest in my day to day experiences and lessons learned living here.

I am almost halfway through my 3 month stay here and I have been reflecting on what I have learned so far. In most aspects it is no different than if I had moved to a new city in the US and would need to develop a new support network: doctors, friends and everyday routines.  The only difference here is that I have the language barrier and a new culture to learn. I have compared Bologna to Boston in the past- university town, lots of students, art, music, great restaurants, small neighborhoods and a walking city.  So if I moved to Boston, I would experience most of the same things there except for the language, right?  Well yes and no.  Culture is defined as “the ideas, customs and social behavior of a people or country”. And that takes in a lot of territory.  In America, other than the language, the differences in culture between the different areas of the country may vary but do not create barriers.  Yes, there are differences based on religion, political beliefs, food  and even new terms to learn but in the United States we often encounter people from other states in our work environment.  And America is a nation of blended cultures, some newer than others but through the years these are no longer defined only by city or state boundaries as they once were in the past.

Italy is a relatively new country just past its 150 birthday. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Italy went through vast changes that you need to read an in-depth history to understand.  But Italy, through the centuries was not only ruled by Popes, French, Spanish and Austrians to name a few, Italy was largely comprised of city-states or regions each with their own language, culture and territorial boundaries.  Uniting Italy was not just bringing one culture together but many different ones with their own history, language and loyalties.  So all this rambling is to say that you just don’t move to Italy and learn its culture.  You learn the culture of the region that you live in and are reminded by the people that they are still fiercely proud of their heritage and can still bear grudges with other areas of Italy based on previous rule or wars or prejudices.  I experienced this when I ventured into the south of Italy last week and listened to the people talk about the difference between those in Northern Italy and the south.  And likewise the same biases are echoed by those here in the north.

People will talk about how the people from Romagna are different from Emilia based on whose rule they were subjected to in the past.  The region may have been named Emilia-Romagna by some politicians but the people let you know the differences.  I am told that some of the people of Parma think they are superior to Bologna because they were ruled by the Austrian Maria Louise, Duchess of Parma and second wife of Napoleon. And this was in the 1800’s! Whether this is true now or a long-lasting perception, the fact is people will tell you it is so.

And it is true that dialects still exist and in certain areas it is difficult to understand what people are saying, especially if you are a novice to the language and have tuned your ear to the dialect of the region you live in.

Six weeks is not a long time to get acclimated to a new environment and culture. Each day usually brings some new revelation.  Mostly it is the little things of everyday life.  Basic grocery shopping continues to be one of those constant explorations or perhaps just the fine tuning of it.  Each day I go into a store I find an item I have spent days looking for or find a different store that has a larger selection of items.

In Bologna there are stores for all different types of things that in the United States we find either in our grocery or drug stores.  Your basic food items, paper goods and soaps etc. are found in the supermercato. But don’t look for things like aspirin or other related products.  These are found in either the farmacia or parafarmacia.  The farmacia is where you buy items like aspirin and other prescription medicines.  You usually ask the pharamcist for what you need or tell them your symptoms, such as a cold,  and they will assist you.  Now if you need something like Tums or eyewash or vitamins your parapharmacia is the place to go.

Tabaccheria

And then there was the recent quest for batteries- the AA type – so I searched my supermercato and parapharmacia to no avail.  Calling on my wonderful network, I asked where I would find these.  In the tabaccheria of course- duh- now why did I not think of that.  The tabaccheria is a tobacco shop where you not only buy tobacco but also bus tickets, lottery tickets, stamps, recharge your cell phone and of course buy batteries!  But they do not sell magazines or newspapers – for that you go to the edicola- which is basically a news stand like you would find in cities such as New York that sell magazines and newspapers and assorted other items.

And I am not even talking here about the wonderful vegetable and fruit stands, cheese, fish and meat stores where you can go daily to choose your meal for that day based on the fresh items available.

In our hurried life in the United States we usually have the privilege of one stop shopping to fulfill all our shopping needs with our interactions limited to usually the one checkout clerk.  Shopping for me has presented numerous opportunities to interact with people, especially as I attempt to make inquiries in Italian for items one never learns in a language course.

I had the pleasure of being invited to a small party by one of my friends last night.  I met an American who has been living in Bologna for 30 years.  He remarked how brave I was to live here by myself.  I said I was not brave and sometimes thought why am I putting myself through this all!  It is the challenge of a new experience but even more meeting new people and learning about their cultures that brings excitement to my life.  And even the mundane things like shopping may bring either a frustration or satisfaction of being one day closer to adapting to a new culture.  And there have been days when I have needed to purchase other items and have walked by a store several times gathering the courage to enter and attempt to explain what I am looking for.  And when I am successful this is what provides the incentive to continue to master the skills needed to adapt to the culture.

But I am concerned that by the time I have done so it will be time to return to the States.  I do not want to lose this momentum, not to say my new friends and the life I have been building here.