Daily life in Catania

How quickly the time goes. It is crazy to think I have already been here for a month. It feels like it has been longer and shorter at the same time. The days here are long, not in a way that drags, but more in the sense that one can fully appreciate the hours permitted in a day. Having none of the responsibilities as I do back at home, I am able to spend my days here waking up to sunlight, strolling through the bustling city, reading/writing, doing a little yoga, and helping Ida with English. To some, this might seem languid and dull, but my days feel full and my nights restful.

The last couple of weeks I have really had a taste of what daily life is like in Catania. Nothing super eventful has happened (besides the city flooding after a rainstorm), but the quiet has allowed me to spend more time at home with the family. I was truly blessed to be placed with this family. Antonella came home from work last week and told me her colleague asked her about how her "American host" was doing, and Antonella replied, "She's not our host anymore, she's family!"

Here are just a few of the things I have been up to lately:

Firstly, the English lessons have been going well. Each day I can tell Ida gets better and more comfortable with the language even if she cannot see it. We usually talk in English with each other. This keeps her practicing speaking it, and by having me talk to her in English she is able to hear how I pronounce certain words. Now don't think I'm off the hook with Italian. I usually studying grammar and vocabulary in the morning while the family is out, and then I spend a little time talking with the family in Italian. I can understand the language much better than I speak it. This is both good and bad at times. I can listen to the family conversations at dinner now and keep up pretty well, but the minute they ask me a question the conversation has to slow down. The vocab always slips my mind when I'm put on the spot gosh darn it! We did have an interesting day last week though. Salvo, my host brother, felt that the family needed to put themselves in my shoes and be taken out of their language comfort-zone. He suggested we have a day where we could only speak English. I was surprised he said this. He is usually very quiet with me. Nevertheless, Antonella was thrilled with the idea. When the "English Day" came, Antonella greeted me with a very enthusiastic "Good morning! Today...English!" She proceeded to show me a sheet of paper with some phrases written on it in both Italian and English; she had spent the early morning hours translating some things to say to me that day. Overall, the day went really well. The family did really well, even Salvo when I put him on the spot at dinner because he had been practically silent all day. They decided to make "English Day" a weekly tradition while I am here.

The family has also asked that I cook some typical American dished for them, the first of which they requested pancakes. I had to get a recipe from my mom to make from scratch, and I have to give a huge thank you to my mom for teaching me how to bake and cook. I was able to adjust the recipe for what I had available for me here in Sicily. Buttermilk is not common here nor maple syrup. Also, the baking powder here is very different--it looks and tastes more like powdered sugar. Luckily, the pancakes turned out decent, and my God, I have never seen people more excited over some flapjacks! We ate them with Nutella and grated pistachios. "Pancake Day" has also become a weekly tradition in the house now. (Sidebar: If any of you readers have any suggestions for pancake toppings or recipes, please send them my way!) The next requests on my baking list are brownies and pumpkin pie (like what is eaten on the "American day of thank yous!")

Another weekly tradition that I have welcomed into is "Gym Day." Every Wednesday, one of Antonella's friends, Giusy, comes to the house and they do an exercise video together. They were so enthusiastic about me joining them my first week here that I, rather reluctantly, agreed. While I am not the biggest fan of in-home workout videos, I have begun to enjoy this bizarre 30 minutes of exercise. Perhaps it is the change of pace from reading and studying or maybe it is the sheer excitement on Antonella and Giusy's part that makes it fun. They noticed yesterday that I usually make it through the workout without breaking much of a sweat. I told them that back at home I usually go to the gym 3-5 days a week for an hour so this video was pretty simple for me to follow. This was received by a series of "Mamma mia! Cinque giorni di settimana! Mamma mia. Sei pazzo! (You are crazy)."

So I guess I have nothing really exciting to fill anyone in on, no carnivals or parties or festivals happening at the moment. Just living the daily grind...if that's what you can even call it.

A presto!

The family trying pancakes for the first time

Some drinking chocolate and biscotti are the perfect antidote for a lazy Sunday afternoon

  

Carnevale!

So this is just a photo update. I went to Carnevale d'Acireale and Carnevale di Misterbianco this past week. Acireale had these amazing mechanical floats that were paraded through the streets. Carnevale di Misterbianco is a costume festival; it was pretty similar to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. The dresses and face paintings were beautiful and very extravagant. At Misterbianco, I was interviewed by two Italian men dressed in ridiculous gorilla suits. They were very excited to talk to "Alissia, la ragazza dall'America!!!" It was definitely the funniest moment of the night out!

 This sexy little lady is actually a boy. He owned those 5-inch sparkly heels!

 The Evil Queen from Snow White

 The White Witch from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe 

 One of the monkeys I was interviewed by

Food--It's what brings us together

Many of my friends and family have been asking me about the food here in Sicily. How does it compare to the States? How does it compare to my family's Italian cooking? I can honestly say that the way my family at home cooks is very much the way my family in Sicily cooks--simple dishes that pack a lot of flavor. I have been eating a lot of ripe tomatoes, fennel, and artichokes lately. The family also ends each meal with fruit. They keep a basket full of fresh kiwis, pears, and oranges (the oranges here are spectacular!) and once everyone has finished eating, they share the fruit with each other. It brings an end to the meal and provides that little bit of sugar to satisfy any sweet tooth. It is definitely a custom I plan on bringing back to the States with me. If only I could bring back some of the blood oranges from here as well...

What I find remarkable here is how little importance the food holds, but rather the importance that is placed upon eating a meal together. While breakfast is usually a quick cup of espresso and some biscotti, lunch and dinner are meant to be enjoyed together at the table. I am fortunate enough to have been raised with this same notion in America. My parents always made sure we ate dinner as a family at the table. This allowed us to discuss the goings-on in the world, recount stories about our day-to-day business, and naturally, engage in heated family arguments which usually started with my parents being "unfair." These moments, these hours spent around the dinner table sharing good food and good company have greatly shaped the person who I am today. For me, food has always been and will always be a means of bringing people together. From learning how to knead dough from my mother to learning how to appreciate a smooth Cabernet with my father, food has always been a bonding experience--you share the knowledge, you share the food, you share the moment. Being away from my family and friends, this concept of sitting together at the table to share a meal has been most refreshing here in Sicily. I truly feel as if I am a part of their family, listening to their various discussions and arguments that I would find at my own table.

Right, moving onto other foody delights, I had a unique experience on Saturday evening. Ida told me that we would be going out to eat that evening to a place where "you can order food there and take it with you." She asked me if we had anything like this in America. I immediately assumed she was talking about "Take Out" food so I said we did. Then she asked, "But is it big food?" Big food? Well, it is America and we seem to have an insane notion of bigger is always better so...sure. I suppose it is big food. I was assuming portion sizes, but as I quickly discovered that when Ida said "big food" she literally meant BIG food. This tavola calda (hot table) had cases full of foods that looked like appetizers for a giant. There were l'arancine (rice balls stuffed with meat) the size of bocce balls, calzone as big as my face, and yes, there were even chocolate croissants that took up nearly an entire baking sheet. If that doesn't make you salivate then you clearly have a problem. I ate a Sicialiana--a calzone-like food that is stuffed with fresh tomatoes, prosciutto, and Fontina cheese and lightly fried (this I discovered as I bit into it).  It was big, it was filling, and it was totally worth every single calorie. We also bought a dessert from the bar that is traditional around Carnevale (which began the following day) called baba. It is a dry bread cake that is topped with a cream custard, fresh fruit, and then doused in a sugary rum syrup. It was incredibly sweet, almost too sweet for my taste, but nevertheless was delicious. I am happy the family shared this traditional delicacy with me.

 The delicious dessert case. The pastries with faces decorated on them are traditional of the masks of Carnevale.

 The tavola calda--the Siciliana is on the bottom shelf in the middle. And yes, I did eat the entire thing.

 The owner of the bar showing off his giant chocolate croissants.

 La Baba

La Baba and Le Babine (little Baba cakes)

More to come on Carnevale. A presto!      

La Festa di Sant'Agata e Caltagirone

After I arrived in Catania, I learned that the city was celebrating its annual "Festa di Sant'Agata" (Festival of Saint Agatha), the patron saint of Catania. Legends tells us that Sant'Agata dedicated her life to God and refused to marry. One man, Quintian, held great power in society and tried to force her to change her mind by making her live in a brothel. When she continued to resist and preach the word of God, her breasts her cut off and her naked body was rolled over hot coals, and she died a martyr. In Catania, she was asked for help during an eruption of Mt. Etna, and the people of Catania believe she now protects the city from the volcano. She is the protector against fire. The festival of Sant'Agata takes place on February 3-5, and on the last day there is an all-night procession of her remains through the city. The procession begins at the cathedral in the Piazza del Duomo down Via Etnea which proceeds towards Mt. Etna. 

The celebrations were magnificent. On the last night we went to the Piazza del Duomo for the beginning of the procession and the firework display. I can honestly say that it was the most amazing display of fireworks I think I have ever seen.

 These candelore are carried on the shoulders of devotees during the processions

 The devotees carrying the extremely heavy candelore

 The Piazza del Duomo before the fireworks and procession of Sant'Agata

 Me and Ida at the Piazza

The all-night procession of Sant'Agata

We also went to the city of Caltagirone, the "Queen of the Hills." The city is famous for its beautiful ceramics of vibrant colors. We spent the afternoon wandering the quiet streets (much of the shops were closed for the day) and taking in the remarkable colors that make up the city. The Scala Santa Maria del Monte are the 142 steps leading to the church of the same name, and they are decorated with ceramic tiles in blue, yellow, green, and white. I took great comfort here. Walking through the empty streets with the sun on my face and the beautiful view gave me great solace. We also went to a family friend's house where he works as a ceramic artist. If I had a million dollars, I would have bought his entire collection of vases and dishes. 

 Ida and Antonella

 Che bellissima!

Sono arrivata!

And the adventure begins!

I arrived in Catania, Sicily on the 1st and so far it has been pretty crazy. Sitting on the plane, anxiously waiting for takeoff from Seattle, it hit me that this life experience I had been planning for months had finally arrived. It was not a fable, not some story I told strangers to assure them my life had direction; it was actually happening, and though I had been planning for it, I suddenly realized that I, in fact, had no plan at all. All I knew was that my "job" was to help tutor a family in English while immersing myself in a new culture. I didn't know how much English they knew, what materials I would need to tutor them, I hadn't spoken Italian in nearly two years, and yet here I was. So I took a deep breath, threw caution to the wind, and embraced this new beginning.
First, traveling here was an adventure all on its own. I had two layovers between Seattle and Catania, the first in London and the second in Rome. Now I have done my fair share of international traveling and I love the rush and excitement at the airports. I suppose it is safe to I am a confident traveler; I don't get nervous, I know my way around airports, and I know how to pack for both convenience and necessity. Thus, I confidently set out on my journey. By the time I hit Rome, this confidence began to dissipate. I had been preparing myself for this trip and understood what it would mean, but it was not until I arrived in Rome that I fully realized that I am a foreigner in another country. You may be reading this and thinking to yourself, "Really, Alyssa? You just realized this now?," but let me tell you there is a significant difference between thinking about being in a foreign country and actually physically being there. One becomes acutely aware of this difference when alone. No one was there to share my confusion or frustration, especially dealing with my suitcase. I had flown British Airways from Seattle to Rome, but I was told that once I got to Italy, I would have to make sure the Italian airline checked my bag because it would not automatically transfer over to their system. I am happy to say that I accomplished this simple task. I am not happy to say that my suitcase was still lost for two days however. Let me tell you, there is nothing more pathetic looking than a girl standing by herself in a nearly empty baggage claim, waiting for a bag that clearly is not coming. Okay, maybe there are more pathetic moments in life, but in that moment I felt like a complete fool. It took a while to explain my situation to the baggage clerk, partly because she did not understand why I would be in Sicily for three months and partly because she spoke little English and I little Italian. There is a silver lining to this pathetic tale though: each time the sliding doors exiting the baggage area opened, I could see my host family waiting for me, smiling and waving. I felt relieved that they seemed excited to see me.

Meeting my family was great, but was a little difficult. I wanted to make a good first impression, but I had no luggage (which meant only one change of clothes in my carry-on), I had been awake for nearly 30 hours, and of course, there was a language barrier. Luckily, my program correspondent was there and able to translate for me. So here is what the PLAN is: the daughter, Ida, wants to take a language certification for English in May. She has already taken the Spanish certification because Spanish and Italian are so similar, but she has a hard time studying English by herself. This is where I come in. I will be tutoring her for 15 hours a week and she will tutor me in Italian. Her English is already very good so we will focus mostly on memorizing vocabulary and working on grammar. The same goes for me with Italian. The rest of the time I will spend with the family trying to converse in Italian, learning about their daily life, and traveling. Not too shabby, eh?

The family is lovely. They are very easy-going and fun to be around. I share a room with Ida and thankfully we get along well together. We share a fondness over Disney movies and Titanic (we watched the film in Italian so that I could get used to hearing the language). The mother, Antonella, is a very kind and caring woman. She has already embraced me as another daughter and insists on making my bed and coffee in the morning. This is very strange for me because I am a self-sufficient person and its difficult for me to allow others to do things for me. However, upon watching the family and how they interact with each other, I realized that this is her way of welcoming me into their home; this is how most Italian mammas are.

The language barrier is difficult at times. I have to remind myself that it has only been five days and I'm not going to become fluent in a week, but it is frustrating that I have forgotten much of the grammar I learned two years ago. I am gradually remembering everything as I go and I am beginning to understand the conversation at the dinner table when people talk slowly. This is sometimes impossible though because, much like my own family, everyone talks at once. It becomes almost like white noise to me. Even though the program says its possible I cannot fathom doing this without some knowledge of the host country's language. I find myself at times struggling to explain English words in Italian, or trying to remember Italian verbs/vocab to form a complete sentence. If I only spoke English, I think I would be a mess. That being said, it is a slow process. I have to remind myself not to get discouraged quickly and to remember that my family is probably feeling the same frustrations.

Well, now that I have written a novel practically, I will try to keep future posts shorter.