le lingue sono difficile da imparare!
Learning another language has made me appreciate how absolutely fundamental and critical languages are to life; all aspects of life - from mundane day-to-day life to the poetic idea of essential existence. Language is the substance of our thoughts, the interpreter of our actions, the light for our cultures and the glue that allows us to connect as people. Serious business is that language. I hope that by now I have used enough big words to convince you just how important language is; now we can proceed…
Seriously though, language is key. It allows us to communicate and hence to define people and their cultures. The Italian language, or more specifically how Italians speak it, is an interesting one. The Italian culture is reflected in the language as one would expect. A note is required here…I don’t want to make this a grandiose analytical discourse on Italian culture etc. I can only talk about what I have witnessed with Italians in shops and other such places, Italian friends and also through the family I’m staying with at the moment. Also the usual limitations of stereotypes obviously apply here. And finally, I realise I’m mixing in analysis of Italian culture and not really linking it back to my main topic of language…meh, it’s a blog post not an essay. OK, now that we’ve cleared that up…
Firstly, communication tends to be more direct. People are able to maintain relatively calm and reasoned conversations on topics which would have people from British/NZ/Aussie cultures red-faced and sweaty. For example, I witnessed two people arguing in a line at the post office (lines, lines everywhere). A woman confronted a man in a very direct way about pushing in front of her. He calmly explained that he had a special request and wouldn’t take long (I’m fairly sure – something like that anyway). The woman retorted with the benefits of lines for the greater good and the man restated his own personal wants. The interaction went on like this for literally 2-3 minutes without either person becoming flustered or appearing embarrassed in front of the 50-60 other people in the room who could hear (Italians speak loud). It ended with the man walking out looking a bit dejected and annoyed but definitely not embarrassed. I thought to myself at the time that this scenario would be so improbable in NZ; that two people with the necessary qualities would happen to be in the same place at the same time.
Further examples are the dinner table conversations we have sometimes, or more appropriately stated, that I witness. Relatively sensitive topics are aired and discussed in a matter-of-fact and open way without expressed embarrassment or awkwardness. This type of thing happens, in my opinion, more than in a typical NZ household. The Italian language reflects this directness I believe. I don’t know enough about the language to explain this properly. It’s just a feeling at the moment. I can however throw in a few cutesy examples in a vein attempt to prove my hypothesis! Number one…the way of answering the phone in Italian is “Pronto” which means “I’m ready” - fairly direct no? Number two…a very common method of beginning a conversation or getting someone’s attention is to use an imperative form of the verb sentire or the verb ascoltare, which both mean to listen (among other things). For example, “Senti, hai qualcosa…” which means literally “Listen [you], do you have something…” or the more direct “Ascolta bene…” meaning “Listen well…”
Second, in Italy everything must be weighed and compared, and of course judged on beauty. You wouldn’t be too far wrong if you said life is one big beauty contest. Appearances are valued very highly indeed. Of course the concept of beauty is far more wide reaching in the Italian language than in English. While in English one only uses beautiful to describe objects and people of exception, it is a fairly general word for “good” in Italian. There is also the factor that Italians tend to find more beauty as they tend to be always looking for it and judging things. In Italy, you must have opinions on everything, especially food. Do you like this? How do you find that? Buono? Was it bella? Some very important questions right there. Not many dinner table conversations pass without at least one significant debate about the goodness or quality of a certain food or beverage. And in keeping with the paragraphs above, one does not need to hesitate to call out a particular dish as too salty, too dry or just straight up not as good as something else. Offence is generally not taken and in fact this type of openness (on food at least) seems to be highly valued.
Third, hand gestures. It would be hard to talk about the Italian language without mentioning hand gestures. They are of course everywhere, as I think most people know from the hand-waving, pizza-cooking, mamma mia-saying Italian stereotype. I have discovered they are actually essential to communicate here. I’m fairly sure people understand me better when I use them. It also just feels better to use them. There is something about the fluidity and rhythmic nature of the Italian language that lends itself perfectly to hand gestures. I find they can help me get into the ‘Italian mode’ where I pronounce things better, remember words easier and generally act more, well, Italian. I guess it’s the whole associating somatic movements with mental images/words thing.
Although sadly, learning Italian has actually made me realise how little I know about English, beyond how to speak and write it. That is, grammatically speaking, I know very little. For example, when trying to explain how to deal with countable and uncountable things in English to an Italian learning the language, I could only give examples. I had no rules, no reason for my seemingly random (to her at least) use of “some” or “a lot of” etc. I don’t remember learning grammar at school and I’m not sure if we did learn much at all – it’s a shame. However, after getting into Italian and being forced into the sometimes ugly world of grammar I now intimately know the meaning of a lot more grammatical terms and hence I am able to explain sometimes why a construction must be a certain way. Still though, it has been a significant entry barrier for me.
While we’re on the language analytic tip, I’ll bring in how we learn languages and how we know what constitutes proper language and what doesn’t – without having to bust out the grammar book every conversation. I know for me at least that I only know by example – from what I have heard in, and remembered from, the past – from year 0 onwards probably. Sentence constructions either sound right or sound wrong, or sometimes, more correct or less clumsy. And without the grammatical knowledge I talked about above, one has no way to explain why one construction is correct and another wrong. One can only give examples. This is of course fine for speaking and writing in your native language, but a problem when trying to learn another language or explain your native one. Kids are lucky, they can learn through many years of constant exposure to correct language. They have enough exposure to be able to build complex patterns of correct sentence constructions in their mind/memory – even without ever knowing why what’s right is right. Adults learning another language however can’t rely solely on this level and quality of exposure (unless they have 5-10 years up their sleeves and an ideal learning environment I guess) and hence must rely significantly on learning through the rules, the grammar, of the language. Of course exposure is also needed. Living day-by-day with Italian seems to be the only way to truly learn, for me at least. Constant exposure and reinforcement - like the babies get. I have had to become a 1 year old and group up over again.
So where am I up to? Myself, at the moment, I find that a lot of the time responding to native speakers when they’re speaking to me at full speed is like batting in a cricket match against a professional pace bowler. This is actually a good analogy for language learning. At first you can’t even see (think hear) most of the balls bowled at you. Then, after time, you start to recognise patterns and start to see enough of the bowls to hit some back. Of course you start by making simple blocks of the important bowls going for your wickets – think key questions that you have to answer and can answer with yes, no, ok, please etc. Then you progress to making small strokes, or more complex responses, such as “yes I would like to come, shall I bring my camera?” And then there are the more difficult strokes/responses. Boundaries, however, are still a long way off…they are the Holy Grail…the witty, clever, think-on-your-feet, must-be-fairly-fluent type of responses. I’m making small strokes where I can at the moment, still waiting for that four or six.
All roads lead to…
Rome! I'm not so sure this saying is accurate nowadays, although judging by the sheer number and quality of treasures within, it must have been true in the history of this great city.
When I arrived in Rome and found my way from the airport to the central city, with several rather abrupt lessons in the importance of Italian pronunciation on the way, my first destination was a couchsurfer's house (apartment - a house in Roma?). I was to stay here for a few nights until my apartment, organised through the language school, was ready. The meeting of this local Roman (I still find it funny it refer to modern day Rome locals as Romans) proved very very fortunate for me and was the starting point for some awesome experiences in Rome I simply wouldn't even think of without knowing locals.
So I had a first few days of nightclubs (discoteca!) and cool local haunts. I didn't really do anything touristy in the first 5 or so days which was nice. I did get in a few walks around the old centre, which, me not being used to seeing such grandiose and ancient things everywhere (growing up in NZ...), completely blew me away. When I moved into my apartment on the Sunday, I had all of the following week free (before starting language school) to see sights all day long...
Among all the museums, exhibitions, notable buildings, squares, fountains, streets, shops and random amazing little things around each and every corner, a few things stood out...
The museums and the Michelangelo-designed piazza on the Capitoline Hill (il Campidoglio or Monte Capitolino) was definitely an area that stood out. There is something magical about the place which is difficult to put in words. I think it has just the right amount of elevation above the city and the buildings and the piazza are simply perfectly designed. However the relatively modern, and relatively grotesque and oversized, Monumento a Vittorio Emanuelle II in Piazza Venezia nearby does almost ruin the site. I don't actually have a normal image of the piazza online for some reason but here's one of something on its edge...
Just through the amazing Roman Forum ruins lies the foot of the Palatine Hill. A little higher than the Capitolino, this hill was another very important area in the history of the city and holds ruins dating back to around 1000 BC. Quite a few of the ruins that are visible today date back to the Republican period (510 BC – 44 BC) when many affluent Romans had their residences. Like the Capitolino, this is another magical place. The day I visited the sun was out, the sky was a crisp blue and the impressive 'hanging pines' were casting shadows over the ancient stone work - completing the idyllic Roman ruin scene...
Next up is a little known place (well, for most tourists that is) called the Giardino degli Aranci (Garden of Oranges). It basically is a garden with orange trees on top of a hill (notice the high places theme so far?) with a cool lookout over Rome. There's a church nearby and it's all very nice. I went there a handful of times I think. It was actually a place in Rome where one couldn't hear (much) traffic and other city sounds.
Another high place! The dome of St Peter's church! Really amazing...2m high lettering and such intricate painting that makes the long walk up the stairs so worth it. And while we're at San Pietro, it would be a sin not to mention the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican Museums. I was painting the roof of a bedroom the other day (story for another blog post) and got a feeling for what Michelangelo must have gone through while making frescos on that roof with poor light and an impatient Pope. Even though the chapel is nearly always crowded with tourists and ushers going "ssshhhhhhh!", I still found it hard to pull my eyes away from the paintings/walls. Especially the Last Judgement painted by Michelangelo from 1535-1541. Wow.
Something not involving heights or fine art that stood out for me was a 'megafiesta' (Italians love their superlatives) or carnival party in a small town outside of Roma - I forget the name but it took about 45min to drive there. I was there with friends whom I had met through the CS experience I spoke of earlier when I first came to Rome, so it was definitely one of those 'difficult to even know about without being a local' type thing. The event was basically a lot of people strewn through the main street and side streets of this town, with streamers and masks and food everywhere. Not to mention about 7 different live music acts from tribal drumming to ska bands to typical Italian folk stuff. Even though I wasn't feeling quite up to partying while there (tired and stuff) it was awesome and a unique insight into these types of events in Italy. Another thing I came across through CS contacts was the opportunity to be an extra in a small indy film. I was a bodyguard...although I'm not sure they had the luxury of casting decisions hehe.
Probably my most significant experience in Rome, in terms of time at least, was the language school I went to for 4 weeks, for 4 hours a day. In short, it was really cool - good teacher, great atmosphere, cool people from around the world etc. I think I'll make another 'learning italiano' style blog post soon so talk about the school more then...
So in general I really liked Rome. I wouldn't go so far to use love, but it really was the most interesting city I have been in thus far. So many things to see, taste, hear, touch...and there always seemed to be something happening somewhere. Rome however, is freaken massive. Not so much in geographical size maybe compared to other super cities, but definitely in the shear number of structures and stuff in general. After five weeks I was just starting to understand the city a bit - and I'm not talking about the entire city, I'm talking about the centre and a few of its key offshoots. By understand I mean getting to know what is where, where is good to eat/drink, interesting places to visit regularly etc. I think I made about 7% progress on this journey in my 5 weeks there.
Ciao for now...